Lalitha Rajapakse

Sir Lalitha Rajapakse
Hon.; Sir Lalitha Rajapakse; QC
High Commissioner for Ceylon to the United Kingdom
	In office; February 1967 – October 1969
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Dudley Senanayake
Preceded by	Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera
Succeeded by	M. V. P. Peiris
Minister of Justice
	In office; 26 September 1947 – 1953
Prime Minister	D. S. Senanayake ; Dudley Senanayake
Preceded by	Office Created
Succeeded by	E. B. Wikramanayake
Personal details
Born	Louis Alexander Rajapakse; 3 May 1900; Herambe Walauwwa, Balapitiya, British Ceylon[1]
Died	25 May 1976 (aged 76)
Political party	United National Party
Spouse(s)	Chrysobel Rajapakse
Children	3
Education	Ananda College, Saint Joseph's College, Colombo, University of London
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer

Sir Lalitha Abhaya Rajapaksa, QC (Born Louis Alexander Rajapakse;[1] 3 May 1900 - 25 May 1976) was a Ceylonese lawyer and politician. He was the first Minister of Justice of Ceylon and a member of the Senate of Ceylon.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

Born in the southern coastal town of Balapitiya, Rajapakse received his primary and secondary education in Ananda College, and Saint Joseph's College, Colombo.[1] After that he attended University of London where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws in 1924, became a barrister and called to the bar in 1924.[1] In 1925 he achieve the feat of youngest person at the time to receive Doctor of Laws in the world.[1][3]

Rajapakse was a founding member of the United National Party and when they were elected into the first government he was appointed Senate and became the first Minister of Justice in the country, which he served till 1953.[1] In 1948 he was appointed to the seven member flag committee that consisted S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, J. R. Jayawardene, John Kotelawala, T. B. Jayah, G. G. Ponnambalam and S. Nadesan.[3]

In February 1967 he became the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom which he held until 1969.

Rajapakse died on 25 May 1976, at the age of 76.

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